"The Lord Knows the Way Through the Wilderness"

When we took one of those "shoe-string trips" out West, we arrived at Buffalo, Wyoming one Sunday evening just at church time. Not wanting to miss church, we found a little Baptist church to attend. The people were so friendly, and one family persuaded us to stay all night with them. They were so hospitable. They lived in a basement house, and I remember they slept on the floor so that we could have their beds. They had 3 children and a great big dog. The fellowship was so sweet, and we enjoyed our stay with them very much. The next morning, after a good big breakfast, we started out. Daddy bought a 5 day fishing license and was eagerly looking forward to fishing up in the Big Horn Mountains. As we drove along the crest of a towering mountain we saw a sign "West Ten Sleep Lake". Daddy inquired about the interesting road that led to the Lake and was told there was "mighty good fishing" there. That did it. It was such fun to just take a trip and stop wherever we wanted to, and so right then and there we decided to follow that road. It was just a fisherman's road, just two tracks in the forest that eventually would lead to the Lake. The Indians had named the Lake thus because it was just 10 sleeps (10 nights) from the destination where they had started out. Well, we drove and drove and suddenly the car stopped abruptly. It had high-centered on a large rock, and there was nothing we could do to move it. All around us were miles and miles of forests with no end in sight. We had no idea where the Lake was, or where we were either! "Well," said Daddy, "I've got this fishing license and I might as well use it here." We could hear the rushing mountain stream nearby and already Daddy was looking forward to throwing his fly in with visions of a delectable fish supper in the offing.

I discovered right then and there that it is one thing to deliberately stop and camp somewhere, but when one is stranded in a wilderness miles from anyone, that is a different story. At least it was to my way of thinking. The children were delighted with this rustic setting, and their Daddy hurried to get the camp set up so he could get on to his fishing business. All I could think of was what if, tonight, some big bear would decide to camp with us, how in the world could we get away! But nothing like that happened, and somehow the camp took on the aspects of "home". Five days later we were still stranded. I began to wonder if anyone ever came up this road! The mountain stream was so noisy and Daddy was so engrossed in his fishing, that he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand thumped his shoulder. Two men, on their way to West Ten Sleep Lake found our car blocking the road. Seeing our dilemma, they offered to help us get the car off the rock. They did so, but more trouble awaited us. The car wouldn't start. We had damaged something for sure. They offered to push us out of the side road and back to the top of the mountain. We hurriedly broke camp, and off we started. When we got back to the regular road they gave us a big push, and we started coasting down, headed back to Buffalo and a garage. There were several tall mountains between us and Buffalo and that was one trip I shall never forget. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we had to sit there until some kind soul took pity on us and pushed us to the top of the next mountain, and then the roller coaster ride began. It really was scary because Daddy didn't dare use his brakes too much for fear they would go out on him, and then we would be in trouble. Those were the most hair-raising rides I ever had, and with relief on all our parts, we finally coasted down the last mountain into Buffalo. We took the car to the garage, and found to our dismay, by the time we paid for the repairs, there would be no money for gas to get back home. What a predicament! I don't know how we would ever had made it through life if we hadn't had kind and understanding friends who truly loved us and came to our rescue at just the right moment. God always provided for our needs, and this time He used our new-found friends of-the-basement-house. They were so surprised to see us again as we knocked at their door and they welcomed us with open-hearted hospitality.

My enterprising husband, undaunted by our financial crisis, went out looking for a job and found one immediately. He worked in a box factory for five days and for the first and only time in our life, we came home from our vacation with more money in our pocket than we had when we left!